SAM Allardyce has always split opinion but he could not be a better choice for England manager.

There is a lot said about the type of football people demand from the national team.

It is no secret the Bolton legend's sides do not play the attractive short-passing, possession game preferred by the style purists.

In reality it's baloney to think it matters how England play. The vast majority of people who watch England in international tournaments are not your usual football fans and care only about the final result.

You could thrash the ball into the air with every kick and the mass public would not bat an eyelid as long as England win.

And England are more likely to win with Allardyce in charge.

As he was as a player at Burnden Park, Allardyce is a no-nonsense manager.

Practical and meticulous, he maximises his players' strengths and puts them together into a team that performs to its potential more often than most.

And with the best players in the country under his wing, that is likely to be even more often than at his clubs where he has worked predominantly with lesser players.

Neil Bonnar